30 Days of Night: The Movie

So I went to see the movie "30 Days of Night", and just got home not too long ago. While it's still fresh in my mind, I wanted to jot down a few thoughts while they were still fresh in my mind. As I've just talked about the comic, it's a good time for a follow up.

First off, the movie wasn't bad. It was nice and creepy, and stark and a little shocking when it needed to be. It managed to really show a nice sense of isolation that exists in Barrow Alaska, and it was a good adaptation of the comic.

What the film added to the story was what I hoped it would, with taking the isolation and the violence of the siege of the town. It also added in some wonderfully creepy sound effects, and as much of the film's violence happened just off camera, it really added to the tale. I liked Josh Hartnett in the lead, and I thought that he was a good choice for his role, and the rest of the cast was fine too.

My criticisms are not overwhelming, but notable none the less. For a vampire movie about a month without the sun, there should have been a lot more darkness shown on screen. I get moonlight, but blackness is unsettling and underused. The vampires, for no explained reason, spoke in a "vampire language" that was unexplained and silly sounding. It was too bad, as they looked scary, and looked evil, but they sounded like drunk klingons.

Lastly, I didn't like the removal of one of the characters from the comic, a very important vampire that was the source of a great twist in the comic. He was written out, and I felt his lost in the end result.

That's all I've got tonight. Go see it, I dug it.

30 Days of Night: The Comic

My friend Pat managed to obtain a double pass to the screening of the movie for tonight, to which he cordially invited me along for. I am stoked for the movie, and I hope to have a few new additions to my Top 10: Superhero movie moments. In preparation, I reread the original comic by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith last night.

For those of you that have never seen any of it, IDW has a few preview pages of the original comic up on their site, which sets up the story and really gives you a feel of what's in store for you.

Set in Barrow, Alaska, "30 Days of Night" is basically a simple idea. In a small and isolated town where the sun sets and doesn't rise until a month later, a group of vampires show up in order to wreak havoc and give in to their baser animal instincts. Violence ensues.

First released in 2002 (and almost immediately optioned in Hollywood), it is a pretty slick idea for a horror comic from writer Steve Niles. Vampires, violence, endless night. But what really set it apart was the unbelievably moody, dark and original artwork by Templesmith (or Templesmiths, if he is to be believed). The art was unlike anything else on the comic shop walls at the time, and elevated the book to high levels. Its cult hit status isn't that of "Sin City", but it does have a following and it was an unexpected sleeper hit for IDW.

The art is exceedingly dark. You have to strain to draw out the details from it, and the work it causes you to place as it surrenders it's disturbing imagery almost like a whispered secret. It hearkens back to classic horror experiences like Alien, where the tension is ratcheted up until it bursts.

If you haven't read it yet, and you like comics, vampires or dark artwork, you should pick it up.